Oil dependency,political institutions,and urban–rural disparities in access to electricity in Africa

In line with the resource curse literature, this paper examines the effect of oil dependency on the disparities in access to electricity between urban and rural areas in Africa, conditional on the quality of political institutions. Based on data from 36 African countries over the period 2000–2017, our investigation suggests that oil rents (% of GDP) increase urban–rural disparities in access to electricity. However, the quality of institutions shapes the effect of oil dependency on these disparities. Specifically, a 10% increase in the institutional quality score reduces the adverse effects of oil rent on electricity access disparity by around 19%, and the negative impact of oil dependency on urban–rural disparities is reversed when institutional quality reaches a score of 52% on a scale from 0 to 100. The robustness tests support these results and call for strengthening the quality of institutions to overcome the resource curse in Africa.     

基于放射性碳分析的多环芳烃源解析:技术进展和准确性评估

化石燃料燃烧和生物质燃烧是污染物多环芳烃(polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon,PAHs)的两大来源.放射性碳(14C)分析近年用于评估这两类源对环境中PAHs的相对贡献.此方法基于化石燃料和生物质的14C含量差异,即化石燃料不含14C,而生物质的14C浓度有一个较稳定值.14C的自然丰度极低(约10-12),因此检测PAHs这样的痕量污染物的14C含量一度极具挑战.1990年代中期,加速器质谱的技术突破使得对环境样品PAHs的14C分析具有实用价值.要准确测出PAHs的14C含量,须先从化学成分复杂的环境样品中分离出高纯度的PAHs.制备气相色谱因其出色的分离能力而成为目前环境样品PAHs14C分析必备的工具.本文意在简介基于14C分析的PAHs源解析的基本原理、技术进展,以及评估该方法获得的PAHs源解析结果的准确性.     

Governing Quasi-Public Network Services for adaptation to climate change

Adaptation takes place in both private and public sectors, or as an interrelation between the two, and often under the realm of public regulation. Thispaper uses the Swedish and the Norwegian electricity grid sector, as providers of a vital public good under strict public regulation, to analyse reforms' effects on adaptive capacity in this area. The paper shows that transformational changes in both sectors during the 1990s shifted both the formal organisational structure (rules and regulations), as well as the organisational culture, in the direction of economic efficiency. These two dimensions individually reduced adaptive capacity to climate change, although differently in the two countries. However, the formal structure and organisational culture also yielded substantial influence on each other. This leads to the conclusion that when designing public regulations and implementing reforms, organisational culture must be considered in the design. Also the paper contests previous findings in the literature by showing that under given conditions there exist some substitution between the two dimensions in influencing adaptive capacity, implying that both dimensions should be included when analysing adaptation since analysing them in isolation is likely to lead to wrong conclusions.     

Quantifying the rebound effects of residential solar panel adoption

Customers who adopt solar panels can reduce their energy bills and lower the effective average electricity prices they pay. When the price falls, a solar consumer might consume more electricity than before – a solar rebound effect. We provide the first empirical evidence of residential solar rebound effects in the U.S. We use household level hourly and daily electricity meter data as well as hourly solar panel electricity generation data from 277 solar homes and about 4000 non-solar homes from 2013 to 2017 in Phoenix Arizona. Using matching methods and a fixed effects panel regression approach, we find that when solar electricity generation increases by 1 kWh, solar homes increase their total electricity consumption by 0.18 kWh. This indicates that solar rebound effects are estimated at 18%. Building upon our theoretical framework, the increase in consumer surplus from solar panel adoption is estimated at $972/yr.     

A case study of an isolated wind powered electricity system meeting 100% of local demand

Using meteorological and electricity demand data for a 4-year period, electricity demand in Shetland was modeled to provide an estimate of the demand over a 30-year period from 1 January 1981. That modeled demand was then compared to estimated wind power output over the same period using the WAsP model. The wind farm output was estimated for a range of sizes of wind farm up to the consented 370 MW Viking Wind Farm in Shetland. Some wind power was available for 94% of the time and the 370 MW wind farm would meet 100% of demand for nearly 80% of the time. The statistics of single and accumulated deficits were calculated for a range of wind farms and estimates of the amount of additional generation capacity and additional power requirements were assessed. The study suggests that with storage, wind power in Shetland could meet all electricity demand in Shetland at around £130 to £150/MWh (excluding subsidy) and with a grid connection allowing the sale of excess power, those costs could be reduced.     

Vetoing the future: political constraints and renewable energy

Despite the increased importance of and attention to renewable energy, its share in the overall energy mix has varied significantly across countries and over time. There are many determinants of clean energy transitions; this study focuses on political constraints. Here it is argued that political systems that have fewer political constraints have fewer access points through which powerful status quo veto players can slow the progress of clean energy reforms. To test the theory, a hierarchical model is applied on a dataset of 125 countries over four decades. The results provide significant support for the theory. Furthermore, the effects for political constraints hold even when we distinguish between hydro and non-hydro renewable sources and control for regime type. This study builds on research that recognizes the importance of politics in understanding the challenges and opportunities of clean energy reform.     

京津冀产业碳排放强度变化及驱动因素研究

为探讨京津冀地区温室气体排放强度变化的影响因素,采用对数平均迪式分解模型及归因分析(LMDI-Attribution)方法,基于1996—2014年数据从细分行业角度进行研究。针对温室气体排放强度作产业结构、能源强度和排放因子三因素LMDI乘法分解,对温室气体排放强度变化的影响效应作归因分析,量化4个行业对分解因素影响效应的贡献,得到以下主要结论:1996—2014年京津冀地区温室气体排放强度主要呈现下降趋势,累计下降23.05%。其中,能源强度是温室气体排放强度下降的主导因素,其影响效应为-61.18%,对这一影响效应贡献最大的是工业,并且四大经济部门均通过能源强度在不同程度上使得温室气体排放强度有所减小,可见"阶梯电价"、"千家企业节能项目"、"十大重点节能项目"等相关政策在工业发展中对提高能源效率的作用明显。产业结构使得温室气体排放强度增加23.53%,其主要贡献者是工业,说明"工业产品出口退税率调整"等一系列政策的效果不明显;然而农业则使得温室气体排放强度降低,贡献值为3.09%。碳排放因子在1996—2014年间对温室气体排放强度的影响为60.47%,是京津冀地区温室气体排放强度增加的主要因素,说明京津冀地区的能源结构不合理。工业对这一效应的贡献最大为55.97%。可见,工业在京津冀地区的温室气体减排工作中起到最为关键的作用。     

以预处理剩余污泥为燃料MFC产电性能及不连续供电的可行性

为探讨微生物燃料电池(microbial fuel cell,MFC)处理经预处理后剩余污泥的可行性以及不连续供电能力,采用双室MFC,以剩余污泥热处理上清液为基质进行启动和运行,通过改变电池阴极电子受体而导致电势差变化来监测其产电的运行稳定性.结果表明,反应器以氧气作为阴极电子受体148 h后启动成功,最大输出电压0.24 V,将阴极电子受体换为铁氰化钾时,能获得0.66 V的最大输出电压和4.21 W·m~(-3)的最大功率密度.当将阴极电子受体分别替换为氧气或者开路,又转换为铁氰化钾后,电池输出功率恢复迅速,电池对有机物去除效率基本不受影响,对化学需氧量(COD)、氨氮去除效率分别达70%和80%.本研究表明,利用预处理剩余污泥进行MFC处理和产电是可行的,可获得较高的功率密度,同时MFC可以实现不连续供电.     

微生物燃料电池处理含S2-/NH4+废水的研究

以除硫硝化微生物燃料电池(Microbial Fuel Cell,MFC)处理含S~(2-)/NH_4~+的模拟无机废水,研究了不同进水S~(2-)浓度下MFC的产电性能、污染物去除效果和阳极室硫累积情况.结果表明,除硫硝化MFC可实现同步阳极除硫和阴极硝化,并通过非生物电化学作用和生物电化学作用共同产电.进水S~(2-)浓度为(60.8±2.9)、(131.7±2.4)、(161.7±4.5)和(198.1±3.1)mg·L~(-1)时,最佳阳极碳刷清洗周期分别为3、3、3、4个换水周期,前3个进水浓度下的换水周期可分别缩短为6、8和8 h.MFC阴极硝化完全,不受进水S~(2-)浓度影响,但氧从阴极向阳极的渗漏导致阳极库仑效率较低(40%).适当增加进水S~(2-)浓度可增强MFC的产电性能并提高S~(2-)去除负荷和颗粒硫累积比.除硫硝化MFC适宜的进水S~(2-)浓度为(161.7±4.5)mg·L~(-1),相应的最大功率密度为5.77 W·m~(-3),周期产电量为(141.0±5.2)C,S~(2-)去除负荷为(0.31±0.00)g·L~(-1)·d~(-1),颗粒硫累积比达58%.阳极碳纤维丝上沉积有粒径约100 nm的颗粒硫.阳极悬浮物与沉积物相比,悬浮物中S0含量比例较高,而S6+含量比例较低.     

复合生物阴极型微生物燃料电池处理废水及同步产电性能

为研究生物阴极在MFC（微生物燃料电池）中的应用,分别以粒径为2~4 mm的颗粒活性炭和粒径为2~4、4~8、8~12 mm的颗粒石墨为阴极基质材料,构建升流复合生物阴极型单室MFC,研究阴极基质材料的种类和粒径对MFC的产电性能和净水效能的影响.结果表明:当阳极基质材料为2~4 mm粒径的颗粒活性炭时,燃料电池中利用玻璃纤维取代离子交换膜,阴极基质材料为选用4~8 mm粒径颗粒石墨的反应柱产电量最大,为534 mV（外电阻为1 000 Ω）,最大功率密度达到631.6 mW/m3,库伦效率为3.82%;阴极的pH越低越有利于阴极的产电反应;不同阴极基质材料的MFC对COD_Cr去除率均在80%左右,TN、NH₄+-N及TP的去除率最高可分别达到79%、93%和34%.研究显示,阴极基质材料的种类和粒径对MFC的产电性影响较大,但对其净水效能的影响不大.